Chapter 18

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Kian was unaware that Ellen was no longer in this world. He was still singing up on stage, and it took him a few minutes to register that he couldn’t see her. In fact, it was Gillian who actually pointed it out to Shane after the song, who passed on the query to Mark, who passed it to Nicky, who passed it to Kian. He went outside to look for her; maybe she just needed some air. That was when his phone rang. Naturally, he assumed that it was Ellen, phoning to say that she was inside waiting for him, but when he answered the phone, a different tone of voice took the conversation to a new level. It wasn’t much of a conversation; there was just some rushed breathing. It sounded like someone was struggling to stay alive, and Kian thought it was a prank call, until he looked at who was calling him. The phone said that it was Ellen, but why would she be making that noise, unless something had happened to her. Kian started to panic. Where was she? Kian ran inside and quickly informed the others who were preparing their next song.

 It took them a whole five minutes to find her. Kian asked the girls to check the toilets before going outside, and held his head in his hands. He rushed back in when he heard someone scream, and followed the voice. It was coming from the toilets, and when he walked in, he found Gillian and Georgina crouched over Ellen’s unconscious body. According to Georgina, she still had a pulse and Kian knelt down on the floor in tears and gripped hold of her hand. He kissed her gently on the lips and hoped that the cliché of a princess waking up with one kiss from her prince charming occurred, but it didn’t.

 Shane had already called for an ambulance before the others, and it would be here soon apparently. Kian wouldn’t leave her side, even when Shane tried to drag him away. He held her hand and wouldn’t let it go, tears streaming from his eyes.

 The ambulance was there in a couple of minutes, but for Kian, that wasn’t soon enough. He paced the room as the paramedics inspected Ellen, and his temper was being released in short bursts of shouts and punches. He punched the wall and told the paramedics that they weren’t working fast enough. He cut his knuckles open and was told he needed stitches. Nicky offered to drive him up to the hospital now, but Kian said that he wouldn’t be leaving Ellen’s side until she was safe, and he would ride in the ambulance whether they liked it or not.

 They reached the hospital it super quick time, they swerved in and out of traffic and Kian held Ellen’s hand the entire time, even when the paramedics needed to check her over. Kian followed her into the hospital, and pushed past the people who told him he couldn’t pass. He was dragged away eventually and placed in a room where his stitches could be dealt with. He sat there with his hand being sewn up, wincing as the needle penetrated his skin, and chewed his nails impatiently as he waited to find out where Ellen had been taken. The doctor came to see him when he was finished getting sewn up, and told him that she was in theatre:

“Why is she in theatre, what’s wrong with her?”

“We believe that it is a clot in the brain, but we cannot be certain until after surgery”

“How long is that going to be?”

“A couple of hours, she needs to be left alone”

“No way, I will be silent, whatever you want, and just let me see her soon”

“I can’t allow that I’m afraid sir, you will have to wait.”

“I am supposed to keep her safe, how can I do that if you won’t let me?”

“It is in the hands of a professional now, please let us do our jobs, go home, get some sleep.”

“You are off your rocker, I am not leaving this hospital without her, and I will camp out if I have to”

“You can wait in the waiting room, but it will be a long wait”

“A wait that I am prepared to see through, for her” The doctor walked away after his pager went off, so Kian was left in his own thoughts, which for a troubled and anxious man, was a dangerous place to stray.

 Ellen came out of surgery after three hours. By that time, Shane Nicky and Mark had all joined Kian in the waiting room. They had all sent the rest of their families’ home, and cancelled the remainder of the party. Although they had only known her for a short period of time, Ellen had touched all their hearts in some way, Kian’s especially.

 The same doctor as before came over to inform that they could see her now, but she was still under the local anaesthetic, and it may take some time for her to wake up. Kian took a deep breath before walking through the doors that lead into the room that Ellen was in, and his heart skipped a beat as he saw an endless supply of wires trailing in and out of her body. He came over and sat in the chair next to her bed, and kissed her on the forehead. He others came in a few minutes later, they knew that Kian would want some space, but thought it best not to leave him unattended in the state that he was in. They came in and Shane placed a hand on Kian’s shoulder. He smiled weakly and nodded his head in thanks.

 They were sitting there for a few hours, and having been through about twenty coffees between them, were full of energy that they needed to use up. Kian was a little chirpier, which was put down the sugary coffee that they made him drink to keep him awake. They decided to cheer up Ellen’s unconscious body with a song, hoping that it would wake her up. Kian wasn’t up for singing, but once Shane had started, Kian joined in. Shane started off in a low tone, as fitting for the song and the others joined in and solemnly sung their way through the song ‘I’ll See You Again’. Kian thought that he saw Ellen’s eyes twitch, but the others put it down to him not thinking straight.

 But sure enough, her eyes fluttered again, and her grip tightened on Kian’s hand. He gasped, and Mark called for a nurse. She came in and examined Ellen once she was fully awake, her throat was dry and Kian handed her a cup of cold refreshing water. She looked at him blankly, and Kian thought that it was just where she had come out of surgery, but it wasn’t. Ellen pulled her hand out of Kian’s grip, and shrank back into the bed. Kian looked confused and asked her what was wrong, and it took Ellen some time to answer because of the shock.

“Who are you?”

“What do you mean? It’s me, Kian, your boyfriend.”

“Who’s Kian?” Kian rose up from the chair, tears forming in his eyes and walked outside to take a breather. The others began to follow, until Ellen spoke.

“Who was that guy?”

“Do you know who we are?” Nicky ventured to ask the question that was playing on all of their minds.

“Of course I do, you are Westlife, we met at your concert ages ago, you came to my best friend’s wedding and you recorded some songs with me”

“What about the other guy do you recognise him?” This time it was Mark’s turn to speak, and Ellen looked up into his eyes and replied:

“I have never seen him before” They all looked at each other, and told Ellen that they would be back soon, and she should get some rest.

 They found the doctor talking to Kian in the waiting room; he had been balling his eyes out and still was a little. The doctor told him that Ellen was suffering with amnesia, and it should be a temporary phase as her body repairs itself. The others spoke to the doctor away from Kian and told him that Kian was the only one that she couldn’t remember. He said that her memory would return, eventually and walked away. They thought about telling Kian, but knew that he would flip. Instead, they went home to inform their families’ and told Kian to come with them. He refused, but when they told him that he could work on trying to fix her memory, it seemed as though he had a new goal, and followed them after saying goodbye to a sleeping Ellen. He kissed her forehead, gently enough not to wake her and left with Shane in his car. Shane decide it would be best for Kian to stay round his that night, he was in no fit state to be alone, and Kian gave up and agreed in the end.

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